Portland fire official identify victim in chemical tank death

Portland fire officials have identified the man who fell into a 12 foot-deep chemical tank Sunday morning as 57-year-old John M. Summers.

Summers, of Pe ell, Wash., fell into the tank at an industrial site on Swan Island. The man’s co-worker called police to report he had disappeared from sight at about 10 a.m. in the 6000 block of Basin Avenue. The two were working around a 40 feet-by-50 feet barge filled with a chemical liquid called lignin amine. The chemical is not flammable and is often used to spray fruit trees, Portland Fire & Rescue Lt. Rich Tyler said.

The tank’s 28-inch hatch opening was opened when crews got to the scene. A camera confirmed the man’s body was inside the tank, which was emptied into a separate container to recover the man’s body.